Let's take a look at some of the possible moves the Browns could make in this draft that would be bad moves for the team. The obvious bad move is using the No. 6 overall pick on one of the Quarterbacks available in this draft. I was not in favor of using a 1st Round pick on Brandon Weeden last year. I wouldn't have taken a 29 year old Quarterback, period. By the time you have enough quality guys in place around him to contend for a title, he's 33-35 years old and on the downside of his career. Then you have a team with some talent, but a Quarterback who isn't able to take the team across the finish line, and because you had a good team, (just not good enough,) you aren't in position to draft one of the elite prospects coming out of college. That's not a good position to be in. Beyond that, however, you can't throw away a goodly portion of your last two drafts by giving up on Weeden and selecting another quarterback that you hope has what it takes. Ditching Weeden now means you essentially traded Julio Jones for Phil Taylor and T.J. Ward. Great trade, huh? It also means that a 1st round player at a different position than quarterback in last year's draft was passed on for nothing. You just can't do this kind of thing. That's how losing franchises stay losing franchises. I get it that Quarterback is the most important position in all of sports, other than Head Coach. I get it. And I know that because of his age, Weeden has to catch lightning in a bottle fast, in order to take the Browns to a championship. I get it. I know that because of this smaller window, they have to hit on most of their picks down draft for the next couple of years, and surround him with some elite talent. I get it. The Browns are not in a good situation here. The window is small and they have to have some luck. I get it. But folks, there are no "can't miss" elite Quarterbacks in this year's draft. Well, what about the hidden jewel like Russell Wilson, you ask? That's a rare thing, and there may not be another Russell Wilson in this draft either. If the Browns are hell bent on drafting a Quarterback in 2013, my advice would be to see if Tyler Bray of Tennessee is there in the 4th round. He may be as good a prospect at the position as there is in this draft, and you're not risking too much. We have to see what Weeden will do in Norv Turner's offense. It should play to his strength, which is that big arm, and have him operating out of the shotgun more, which he is more comfortable with, due to familiarity with the formation at Okie St. I know that last year he was not very accurate, locked in on receivers, didn't read defenses very well, and didn't feel the rush well, even running into several sacks. Ball security was a bit of an issue as well. Let's see what he can do in Norv's vertical offense before we give up on him. He's got that big arm, and it's like height in Basketball: you can't teach it. If it becomes apparent that he's not going to be able to get the job done, we can address it next year, with hopefully a better selection of talen to choose from.
I will add: I've heard some people speak very highly of E.J. Manuel, QB Florida St. I can't comment, as I've seen him play very little. The times I did, accuracy seemed to be a problem. I am not a Matt Barkley fan. If the Browns take him in any round, I will not be a happy camper. He has a weak arm and puts way too much air under the ball on a regular basis. His passes float, and NFL DBs will eat that up. I was right about Leinert, and this guy is somewhere between Leinert and Sanchez. Avoid!
Very recent mock drafts from a couple prominent NFL Draft wonks have had the Browns using their first round pick on Tyler Eifert, TE Notre Dame. If they do that, the line waiting to jump off the 480 bridge will be miles long. Do we need a Tight End? Yes. Can you fill that need down draft without burning your first round pick on a Tight End? Ye.., well, maybe. Travis Kelce of Cincinnati may be still on the board when the Browns make their selection in the 3rd Round. This would make infinitely more sense. You'd get a player who's almost at the talent level of Eifert, (or the kid from Stanford, for that matter,) at a fraction of the cost. While Eifert's a nice player, he's no can't miss game-changer. I was fine with the Browns taking Kellen Winslow II in 2004 at 6, but he was potentially the best player in that draft, and should have been the best Tight End ever. He had all of the tools, except between the ears, and he threw away that talent on brashness and foolishness.
Having said all that, taking a Tight End at 6 is a luxury we can't afford now, and there is no monster talent at the position sitting there that we can't pass up. If Banner and company do this, they will regret it down the road.
Some people want the Browns to draft another Receiver at 6. This is not advisable for some of the reasons stated above. No elite players at the position in this year's draft, (though Tavon Austin will be an exciting Slot Receiver,) and more pressing needs at other positions. I happen to be one of those who think that Josh Gordon is going to be an elite Receiver, and Greg Little will be a solid No. 2. I probably wouldn't draft a Receiver at any point in this draft, but certainly not the First Round.
Tomorrow, I'll discuss what the Browns should do in this draft.
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